Dear Man with Answers, who's the new owner of the restaurant that used to be Chardonnay on Second Street Southwest, and when's it going to open? — T.M.
It opened last night, and the owners are Curtis Schuster and his fiancee, Melissa Foster, hence the restaurant's name, Melissa's on Second. They're planning an elegant, continental menu similar to the Chardonnay's glory days, with beef Wellington, duck a l'orange and more contemporary French cuisine, Melissa says. The executive chef is Mike Olson, who was in the kitchen during the locale's days as The Restaurant, which closed earlier this summer.
"We're going to make it the ultimate dining experience in Rochester," says Melissa. The restaurant will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday for starters, and they're planning a formal grand opening for Sept. 1. By then, the worst of the road work in front of their business should be wrapped up. For details, call 226-8685.
